Aircraft engines are used for a number of purposes, including propulsion and/or driving various other components such as, for example, generators, compressors, and pumps, to thereby supply electrical, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic power. Generally, a gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. During operation, the compressor section draws in ambient air, compresses the air with one or more compressors, and supplies the compressed air to the combustion section. The compressor section typically includes a diffuser that diffuses the compressed air before it is supplied to the combustion section. In addition to the compressed air, the combustion section receives fuel via a fuel injection assembly, mixes the fuel with the compressed air, ignites the mixture, and supplies the high energy combustion gases to the turbine section to drive one or more turbines, including a shaft that may be used to drive the compressor and other components.
As introduced above, the diffuser functions to condition the compressed air upstream of the combustion section. Considering the three dimensions of axial, radial, and circumferential air flow in the annular engine, advantageously conditioning the compressed air for desirable combustion characteristics may be difficult. Such conditioning considerations must be weighed with respect to weight, cost, efficiency, and complexity. As an example, the diffuser may include a ring of diffuser vanes and designers generally attempt to select a vane count to balance these considerations. Numerous other engine considerations are evaluated with respect to the compressor, combustion, and turbine sections. Given the various considerations and complexities of engine characteristics, designers typically do not consider the ramifications of a diffuser design with respect to other components, particularly those of the combustion and/or turbine sections.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide gas turbine engine assemblies with improved life span, efficiency, performance, and cost. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.